Infant carrier



April 17, 1956 R, TAR 2,742,212

INFANT CARRIER 2 SheetjSPbl Filed March ll, 1955 April 17, 1956 R. slFTAR INFANT CARRIER 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed March ll, 1955 nited StatesPatent 2,742,212' INFANT CARRIER v Robert Siftar, Schenectady, N.. VY.- t Aliplicatioln March 11, 1953, Serial No. 341,661 i 4 claims. v(ci. 224-6) the'diiculties'presented by vehicles, several devices for.

ollying an infant 1113011 lthe back f all 'adult have ybeen proposed'heretofore, however, hthese have not'g'ained subf stantial public acceptance. t

t A principalohject of the present invention is to proi 2,742,212 VPatented AptaY 17, 1956 ri' ice Fig. 2, is a complete perspective view of the device `of the invention by itself;`

Fg..3 `is a perspective view of aportion of the device ofthe invention, taken looking upwardly and from the rear with the strip of ilexible material removed;

Fig. 4 is an exploded perspective yiew of the device of the invention showing particularly how various portions of the ydevice may be easily detached; and

Fig. 5 is a side view illustrating hovt the device of the inventioncan be adapted as an infant automobile seat or the like. o

Referring particularly now to the lirst four figures of the drawings wherein similar 'reference characters lare utilized to identify like elements throughout, the infant carrying device of the` invention comprisesV a rigid, `substantially U-shaped frame member 1 having a cross po'rtion 2 and leg portions 3 and 4. Y Preferably frame member 1 is constructed of lightweight, hollow tubular `material such as aluminumor steel tubing. The substantially U-shaped frame member 1 is particularly adapted for support in an inverted position with the crossV portion 2 extending across the shoulders and the spacedapart leg portionsS and 4 spanning the back of an adult by means of shoulder straps 5 `and 6, which are attached between cross portion 2 andthe ends 7 and 8 Yrespectively of lleg portions 3 and 4. v The shoulder straps can Vide an'mproyed infant `carrier rwhich canbe supporttedVV from Ithe shoulders and upon the back or an adult maximum 'freedom ofmovernent and minimum fatigue i for both the infant ancladult.

Another object ofthe present invention is to provide an improved infant carrier which furnishes; ajmea'ns for lending a sense of security to the infant during its trans-A porta'tion upon lthe back of an adult'. f l t Still another object of the instant invention is to pro vide a novel infantV carrier which is adaptable' forsupporting an infant in a variety of locations. i

A further object of this invention is to provide a improved infant carrier which is simple yet sturdy in construction, very light in weight and neat in'appearance.

According to the invention, there is fprovii'nedv a carrying device for infants comprisinga rigid substantially U- shaped frame member adapted for attachment in'an inverted position along and substantially straddling the back'of a person except across the shoulders by means of shoulder straps connected to the ends 'and the cross portion of theV frame member. A strip of flexible material is secured around both ofthe leg portions `of the substantially U-shaped frame member that are spaced apart so that only the central part of the strip of flexible material is adapted to bear aaginst the back of the person carrying the device. A rigid seat member is attached to and supported by upwardlyA extending braces from the lower leg portions of the rigid frame member adjacent the small ofthe persons back in a plane substantially per,-l

Vpernlic'ular to the plane of the frame .rnemben whereby the back of an infant seated upon the seat member can rest againstthef'o't'her side 'of the s'trip'of flexible mater-iai to impart a sense of security to the` infant by contact throught-he 'exible material. The infant can be retained upon 'the seat member by restraining straps.

' be formed` from a single strap .of suitable material, such vas woven cotton webbing, which is folded at approxi.

mately. its center and attached to the middleof the cross portion `2 of frame member. 1i by any eifectivemeans such asa` rivet A9. The free or separated endsll) ofthe shoulder straps can be provided with loops (as illustrated in Figs. 2V and-4) through which adjustab1e-length cords 1,1 arepassed: Cords 11 are tied to'eye-bolts 12, one of Y which issecured to frame member 1 near ends 7 and 8.`

'Attachedv to and supported from leg portions 3 and 4 in a plane substantially perpendicular tothe plane of frame member 1 is a rigid seat member 13. It has been found that the'most comfortable balance of anaverage infant on the back of jan average adult can be obtained when these two planes intersect in a line joining substantially equally spaced points in the upper halfof the lower halfof each of the leg portions 3 and 4 substan v tially as indicated in the drawings@ Seat member 13 may be contoured as shown to provide a projection k14 which aids in proper positioning of an infant thereupon. The

seat member is constructed preferably of Masonite, a strong, stiff, water-resistant oer boardof the general `character disclosed in U; S. Patent 1,663,504, issued to Mason on March 20,4 1928, or of other suitable material, e. g., wood. Seat member 13 is attached to and sup ported from leg portions 3 and 4 by means of brace elements 15, lo, 17 and 1S, which can also be formed from a strong, lightweight material such as aluminum.

VThe-edge 13 of seat member i3 is spaced rearwardly from the plane offrame member 1 so that it will not bear against the back of an adult carrying the device ofy the invention. Asis clearly illustrated` in Fig. 3, brace elements or struts l5 and 17 project angularly outwardly and upwardly from ends 8 and 7 respectively of frame member 1 to support brace elements 16 and 18. Struts V153 and 17 may-be attached to ends 8, 7 by means of the eye-bolts 12 and 'to brace elements 16, l118 by any suitable means, such as rivets 19 which can also Aserve along with rivets 2t) to secure brace members 16, 13 to seat member 13. Brace elements lo, 18 are fastened at V `Other vobjects and advantages 'will appear in the follow` their ends21, 22`respcctively to leg portions fl, 3.

Extending around bothl leg portions 3, 4 of rigid frame member 1 is a strip 23 of flexible material such as canvas. The length of the strip 23` is preferably so selected that the ends 24 and 25 arel laterally positioned near the leg portions 3, 4 and the ends of seat member 13. Adjacent the ends 24 and 25 of strip 23 are'y a `ing principle of the fcombination of structural elements of the infant carrying device of the present invention is as follows: The rigid seat member 13 together with the Lacing 27 is drawn tightly enough to assure Moreover, sutricientA slack is brace elements 15, 16, 17, 18 form a light but strong Vtruss that is offset'rearwardly from the plane of the U- shaped frame member 1. This enables the strip 23 of iiexible material readily to ilex through the plane of the framel into conformance withrthe back of the person carrying the device (without touching the seat 13) even though the seat is heavily loaded. Such iiexure of strip 23 will tend to draw the endsof the leg portions 3 and 4 of the U-shaped frame member 1 toward each other. But in such case the angular thrust exerted by the outwardly and downwardly extending braces 15 and 17 from the central part of seat 13 tends to resist the forces exerted by the iiexure ofvstrip 23. These resisting forces exerted by the braces 1 5 ,and 17 will increase as the load on seat 13increa`ses. and 4 ofVU-shaped frame member 1 will be maintained substantially parallel even with a heavy load Von seat 13.

In order to retain an infant or child upon seat 'member Consequently, the legportions 13 as shown in Fig. l', thereis provided a substantially T-shaped strap 'member 28 comprising anjadjustablelength cross portion 29 and a leg portion V30, vwhich also may be of adjustable-length; The end 3.1 of leg portion 30 is attached to seat member V13 and its other end is 4formed into a loop 32 through'w'hich cross portion 29 extends.

its center to the loop by such means as a rivet. The respective ends 33 and 34 of crossportion 29 are furnished with snaps 35 and 36 which can be fastened respectively toeye bolts 37 and 38 attached to frame member 1. Seating comfort for an` infant is vaided by a resilient cushion 39 positioned upon seat member 13 as shown in Fig. 2. Various means for attaching cushion 39 to seat member 30 are well known and may be utilized if deemed advantageous.

When the infant carrying device as above described is properly adjusted upon the back of an adult as illustrated in Fig. l, the infant may be carried most comfortably and with a minimum of effort. Preferably, the adult leans his or her trunk slightly forward to compen- 'sate for the childs weight which is carried by the frame of theV device. Part of the load is transmitted to the pelvic bones of the adult by means of the lower portion 41 of exible strip 23. The shoulder straps proceed from their top attachment to the frame member of the device almost horizontally to the shoulders of the adult;

this means that any vertical component of load carried by the straps is necessarily carried at their lower points of attachment to the frame of the device. Moreover, since the top horizontal portions of each shoulderstrap carry the same tensile stress as the respective bottom portions, all of this force is available for holding the frame of the device securely against the adults back,'with the exception of a small amount necessary to balance the moment of the childs weight tending to produce rotation about the lower end of the frame member.

As is apparent from the foregoing description and the drawings, the child sits upon seat member 13 with its back contacting the adults orV parents back through flexible strip 23. It has been mentioned hereinbefore that lacing 27 should not be drawn sufciently taut to prevent such contact.'y This contact produces an important psychological eiect upon both parent and child inasmuch as each is intimately aware ofthe presence and activity of the other. Mechanically, this contact means that the length of the lever arm with which the childs weight acts upon the adults body is reduced to a minimum.

lf desired, various attachments may be utilized to advantage in the device of the invention. Thus, the childs comfort may be assisted by a resilient cushion 42 removably attached to cross portion 2 of frame member 1 by means of straps 43 and snap fasteners 44. Furthermore, a bag 45 of flexible material, which may be suitably reinforced by a wireframe (not shown), can be attached to seat member 13 by means' of straps 46 and snap fasteners vconsisting of elements 47, 47. Straps 46 are preferably made from a material such as leather and stitched to bag 45 as illustrated at 48. Alternatively, a bag 45 may be attached to cushion 39, or extended over the cushion and secured to a portion (not shown) positioned between struts 15, 17 and strip 23.

The device of this invention is also particularlyadaptable as an automobile seat for a child, as is shown in Fig. 5. In this manner of utilization the carrying device is supported upon a seat 49 by means of leg portions 3, 4 of frame member 1. A detachable spring clamp 50 securely fastens the cross portion 2 of frame member 1 to the back of the seat 49.

While thisV invention has been described by reference to particular embodimentsthereof, it will be -understood that numerous changes may be made by thoseskilled in the art without actually departing from' the invention. For example, the strip 2 3 of flexible material need not be one solid strip but instead may be two strips leaving j a -,-1aterally extending gap opposite the small of an adult Vframe member 1 may bev used for the support of heavy children or for long periods'of wear. Furthermore, other Cross portion 29 can extendy slidably'through materials- (e' g"WOQd)-may be employed to construct loop 32 as shown or can be attached at approximately such members as the frame and supporting struts.l In any event, I aim in the appendedclaims to cover all such equivalent variations as come withinthe true spirit and scope of theV foregoing disclosure.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters n Patent of the United .States is:

l; yA device for carrying an infant comprising a substantially U-shaped rigid frame member adapted for attachment in an inverted position along the back of a person, said `substantially U-shaped rigid frame member including two leg portionsspaced apart to span the back of a person and a cross portion joining said two leg portions, shoulder straps each secured to said cross portion of said frame member and to one of said leg portions near the free end thereof, a strip of iiexible material extending around both said leg portions of said frame member to engage the central part of one side of said strip of flexible material against the back of a person carrying said device,

a rigid seat member having rigid brace elements Yattached to and supported from said leg portions to hold said portions ,apart and to position the seat member in a plane substantially perpendicular to the plane of said frame member and in rearwardly spaced apart relation therewith whereby the back of an infant seated upon said seat member can rest against the other side of said strip of flexible material opposite said one side, and means for retaining an infant upon said seat member.

2. A carrying devicefor an infant comprising a rigid substantially U-shaped frame member adapted for attachment in an inverted positionv along the back of a person, said substantially U-shaped-member including two parallel leg portions spaced apart to span the back of a person and a cross portion joining said two leg portions, shoulder straps each secured to said cross portion of said frame member and Vto one of said leg portions near the free end thereof, a strip of flexible material examaaiz tending substantially` coextensive with and around both said leg portions of said Vframe member andhaving its ends laced together relatively loosely to engage a subfstantial part of one side of said strip of flexible material against the back of a person carrying said device to conform to the contour thereof, `a rigid seat member having rigid brace elements extending outwardly and downwardly therefrom and attached to and supported lfrom said leg portions to maintain the portions apart and to position the seat member in a plane substantially perpendicular to the plane of said frame member and in rearwardly spaced apart relation therewith whereby the back of an infant seated upon said Vseat member can rest against the other side opposite said one side of said strip of flexible material to contact the back of the person carrying said device, and means for retaining an infant upon said seat member.

3. A carrying device for an infant comprising a rigid substantially U-shaped tubular frame member adapted for attachment in an inverted position along the back of a person, said substantially U-shaped member including two parallel leg portions spaced apart to span the back of,

said'frame member and in rearwardly spaced relation therewith, said two planes intersecting at a line adjacent the small of a persons back and substantially above the lower points of attachment of each of said shoulder straps, a strip of flexible material extending around both said leg portions of said frame member and .including a rst section above said `line of intersection of said two planes and a second section below said line of intersection, one side of said iirst section of said strip `of material being adapted for bearing against the back of a person carrying said device and the other side being adapted to support the back of an infant seated upon said seat member, one side of said second section of said strip of material being adapted for bearing against the rear pelvic cross portion of said frame member and to one of saidV leg portions nearthe free end thereof, a rigid seat member having rigid brace elements extending downwardly and outwardly therefrom and attached to and supported from said leg portions to maintain the portions apart and position the seat member in a plane substantially perpendicular to theplane of said frame member and in rearwardly spaced relation therewith, said two planes intersecting at a line joining substantially equally spaced points in the upper half of the lower half of said leg portions, a strip of exible material extending around both said leg portions of said frame member and including a first section above said line of intersection ofsaid two planes and a second section below said line of intersection, one side of said first section of said strip of material being adapted for bearing against the back of a person carrying said device and the other side being adapted to support the back of an infant seated upon said seat member7 one side of said second section of said strip of material being adapted for bearing against the rear pelvic region of a person carrying said device,'and means for retaining an infant upon said seat member. Y

References Cited inthe file of this patent L UNiTED STATESv PATENrs Germany July 30, 1951 p Abraham Sept. 13, i927 

